


Midnight Picnics

by GoosewithaNuke



Series: Holtzbert Week 2018 [7]
Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 08:29:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15287697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoosewithaNuke/pseuds/GoosewithaNuke
Summary: For Holtzbert WeekDay 7: Meet the Parents





	Midnight Picnics

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you to Eevachu for organising this. I had fun actually participating this time and I wrote a whole bunch of stories that I might never have written without these prompts.

Holtzmann and Erin were waiting for their bags at the airport.  
  
“There’s yours!” Holtzmann exclaimed as if she had just won a prize, pointing excitedly.  
  
Erin lunged forward to grab her suitcase. The crowd of other people standing in front of the conveyor belt made it a difficult task, but she managed to retrieve her case without looking too foolish. Holtz’s rucksack made its appearance soon after.  
  
“Cool, now we just have to wait for my brother to pick us up,” said Holtzmann, “he’s meeting us at the pick up area.”  
  
“Okay,” said Erin, she looked nervous.  
  
“Hey, Erin, my family is totally chill. They’re going to love you,” said Holtzmann.  
  
Erin nodded, but she still looked unsure.  
  
“Oh, and one other thing,” said Holtzmann as they walked toward the exit of the airport.  
  
“Yeah?” Erin asked.  
  
“My family doesn’t know I’m a lesbian, so can you pretend you’re just my friend this weekend?” Holtzmann asked.  
  
“Are you serious?” Erin asked, half expecting it to be a joke.  
  
Holtzmann nodded in earnest.  
  
“I thought we were going to tell them that we’re—“  
  
Holtz cracked a smile, “I _was_ joking, I’m sorry. You should have seen your face!”  
  
“Holtzmann!” Erin sounded exasperated.  
  
A car horn sounded. They looked at the source.  
  
“That’s my brother!” Holtzmann yelled in excitement, she grabbed Erin’s hand and pulled her towards her brother’s pickup.  
  
Holtzmann threw her rucksack into the back before opening the passenger side door and climbing in. By the time Erin had managed to heave her heavy suitcase onto the tray and climbed inside Holtzmann and her brother had already said their hellos.  
  
“Derek, this is Erin. Erin, Derek,” Holtzmann introduced them, “Erin is a particle physicist and Derek is my brother.”  
  
“Hi,” said Erin shyly.  
  
“Hey,” said Derek, “Jillian’s told me so much about you. It’s nice to finally meet you.”  
  
“Can I drive?” Holtzmann asked even though Derek had already pulled onto the road.  
  
“Have you gotten your licence back yet?” Derek asked.  
  
“…no,” answered Holtzmann.  
  
“Then no,” replied Derek.  
  
“Hold on,” said Erin, “you don’t have a licence! Holtz! You do all of our driving!”  
  
Holtzmann grinned at her.  
  
  
It was an hour long drive before they reached the Holtzmann household. As soon as they parked Holtz was climbing over Erin to get to the door first.  
  
“Holtz!” Erin complained.  
  
Holtzmann politely held the door open for Erin.  
  
Erin got out, “Wow, you’re so chivalrous,” she said sarcastically.  
  
Erin stood and looked at the house while Holtzmann climbed up onto the pickup’s tray to retrieve their bags.  
  
“Woah, Holtz, this house is enormous!” Erin gawked.  
  
Holtzmann jumped down next to Erin, “Well, it had to be, there are fifteen of us.”  
  
“ _Fifteen_ ,” Erin repeated.  
  
“Yeah, you know, I’m not convinced my parents know what birth control is,” said Holtz with a shrug.  
  
Erin looked at her, but before she had a chance to respond to that comment the front door of the house opened.  
  
“Jillian!” A teenage girl was waving at them.  
  
“Hey Erika!” Holtz exclaimed, waving back.  
  
“Erin, come meet my little sister,” Holtzmann dragged Erin across the front garden, apparently not noticing as she trampled the flowers.  
  
Erika hugged Holtzmann tightly, “It’s been so long!”  
  
Holtzmann pulled back so she could get a proper look at her sister, “You’ve grown,” she commented.  
  
“It’s been three years,” Erika said.  
  
“Wait, Holtz! It’s been three years since you’ve visited your family?” Erin asked incredulous.  
  
Holtz waved a dismissive hand, “I’ve been busy, they get it.” She turned to Erika, “where’s mom and dad?”  
  
“They’re both at work, but they said they’ll be home before dinner,” replied Erika.  
  
“Cool, I’m going to take Erin up to my room,” she paused, “is it still my room or is it like a sewing room or something equally boring?”  
  
“It’s still your room,” replied Erika.  
  
Derek, who they had left behind at the pickup, dropped their bags at their feet, “You can carry your own bags,” he grumped at them.  
  
“Sorry big brother,” Holtzmann grinned apologetically, “I got excited.”  
  
She hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and then took Erin’s suitcase and dragged that along behind her, up the stairs.  
  
Erin could tell when they’d reached Holtzmann’s bedroom before Holtz announced it. The door was covered in stickers and warnings of radioactivity.  
  
Holtz tapped one of the stickers with her finger, “That’s not just for show,” she said, “tread carefully.”  
  
The room was very similar to Holtz’s lab back at the firehouse, it was very clear that young Holtzmann had spent quite a bit of time cooking up experiments.  
  
“Wow, Holtz, this is amazing,” commented Erin.  
  
“Thanks, I’m actually surprised this is all still here. I thought something would have reached a critical point by now for sure and blown this all up,” said Holtzmann as she dumped their bags on the double bed.  
  
Someone started banging loudly on the door, “Jillian Holtzmann! How could you not even say hello to your favourite brother!? You better not be making out in there, I’m coming in!”  
  
A man, who was about the same age as Holtzmann, burst through the door.  
  
“Sammy!” Holtz exclaimed gleefully.  
  
She all but pounced at him as she enveloped him in a big bear hug. When the hug was done, after two full minutes (Erin checked her watch) he turned to look at Erin.  
  
“Is this the girl?” He asked.  
  
Holtzmann nodded enthusiastically, “This is Erin. Erin, this is my brother Sammy.”  
  
“Pleasure to mee—“ Erin felt her breath get knocked out of her as Sammy hugged her.  
  
“Oh, I feel like I already know you so well!” Sammy exclaimed, “Jill’s told me everything there is to know about you.”  
  
“She can’t have told you everything…” Erin said matter-of-factly, but she trailed off, suddenly doubting herself.  
  
“Try me,” said Sammy, “ask anything you like. I’ll know the answer.”  
  
“I’m scared to,” said Erin.  
  
Holtzmann threw an arm over Erin’s shoulders, “Leave her alone Sammy, she just got here.” She looked at Sammy, “Who else is home?”  
  
“Just me, Derek, Erika, and Tabby,” said Sammy.  
  
“Cool, Erin, wanna go meet Tabby?” Holtz offered.  
  
Erin looked overwhelmed, “Yeah, okay.”  
  
Holtz looked at her, “Are you sure, I know us Holtzmanns can be a bit full-on for outsiders.”  
  
“I don’t consider myself to be an outsider, Holtz, we’re engaged,” said Erin. Then she clapped her hands over her mouth when she realised what she’d just said in front of Holtzmann’s brother. “…to be best friends,” she added feebly, trying to make amends.  
  
“You’re engaged?” Sammy’s face broke out in the biggest grin, and it was one Erin was very familiar with, almost identical to Holtz’s.  
  
Holtzmann smiled back at her brother and nodded.  
  
“That’s amazing, I’m so happy for you!” He lifted her up and spun her around.  
  
“Shhh!” Holtzmann hushed him, “we were going to announce it at dinner tonight.”  
  
“If this one can keep her mouth shut,” Sammy pointed to Erin.  
  
“I’m sorry Holtzmann,” Erin apologised.  
  
“It’s fine Er, gotta be honest, I’m having trouble not telling everyone right away too,” said Holtzmann.  
  
“JILLIAN! MOM AND DAD ARE HOME!!!” Erika shouted from downstairs.  
  
“Ready to meet the parents?” Holtzmann asked as she took Erin’s hand.  
  
“Yeah,” said Erin with a nervous smile.  
  
Holtzmann rode the bannister downstairs, Erin walked. Holtz’s parents didn’t look at all how Erin imagined they would, they looked like the cliche of a suburban couple.  
  
“Mom, Dad,” said Holtzmann with pride, “this is Erin.”  
  
“Nice to finally put a face to the name,” Mr. Holtzmann shook Erin’s hand.  
  
“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” Mrs. Holtzmann hugged Erin, “It seems that Jillian speaks only of you now. She hardly even mentions her work anymore, you make her very happy.”  
  
Erin blushed and so did Holtz.  
  
“Erin,” Holtzmann stage whispered. Erin leaned in close to hear what Holtz wanted to say. “I wanna tell ‘em now,” she murmured.  
  
Erin nodded her head, letting her know it was okay.  
  
“We’re engaged,” Holtzmann announced without any preamble.  
  
Neither of her parents looked surprised at the news.  
  
“Congratulations,” said Mr. Holtzmann, clapping a hand on his daughter’s back.  
  
Mrs. Holtzmann had teared up a little, “I’m so happy for you Jillian. You’ll have to tell us how it happened.”  
  
“I wrote her a note a slipped it into her locker,” said Holtzmann, “it said ‘Marry Me’ with a yes or no box. And she ticked yes.”  
  
Mrs. Holtzmann looked at Erin with a raised eyebrow, “I’ll get the real story out of you later,” she told her.  
  
Erin nodded.  


* * *

  
They were lying on a picnic rug on the roof of the firehouse. They’d just finished a midnight picnic and were staring up at the stars. Everything was very stereotypically romantic.  
  
“Those ones look like a goat on acid,” Holtzmann pointed up at the sky.  
  
“That’s Ursa Major, it’s supposed to look like a bear,” Erin told her.  
  
Holtzmann rolled onto her side to look at Erin, “How do you know that and why am I not surprised?”  
  
Erin shifted so she was on her side looking at Holtzmann, “I was in the astronomy club at my university.”  
  
“Of course you were,” laughed Holtzmann, “I love you, you beautiful dork.”  
  
Holtzmann leaned over and kissed Erin on the tip of her nose. Her breath smelled of wine and salt and vinegar Pringles. Had any other person that Erin had dated in the past have done that Erin would have been annoyed, but it was Holtzmann, and Erin just melted.  
  
“I wish we could stay up here like this forever,” said Erin.  
  
“Me too,” sighed Holtzmann, “but I think I forgot to put the safety lock on on the containment unit.”  
  
“There’s a safety lock?” Erin asked, “I thought you said nothing in the lab is safe.”  
  
“Nothing is, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to try to make it safe,” said Holtzmann.  
  
“Do you wanna go check on it?” Erin asked.  
  
Holtzmann huffed, “I should, but I don’t wanna.” She fidgeted, “Okay, yeah, I’d better. Don’t want any of our ghost friends getting out. I’ll be right back.” She hopped up onto her feet and hurried back downstairs.  
  
Erin took her jumper off and folded it to use as a pillow. By the time Holtzmann got back Erin was lightly sleeping.  
  
Holtzmann sat down on the picnic rug near Erin’s head and studied her face.  
  
“I can feel you staring at me,” Erin mumbled. She opened her eyes.  
  
“I can’t help it,” Holtz said, “you’re too perfect, and I like to look at perfect things.”  
  
Erin sat up, “I’m not perfect.”  
  
“Don’t say that Erin, you’re the most perfect person I’ve ever met,” said Holtzmann.  
  
Erin shook her head, “I’m anxious all the time, I make mistakes in my work sometimes, I abandoned my best friend, I—“  
  
Holtzmann cut her off, “You have brilliant big ideas, you chose to come back, I make big mistakes sometimes too, you’re kind, and you’re beautiful, and everything about you fits so perfectly with everything about me, it’s like we were made for each other. You are perfect. I wish I could spend every second of every day with you.”  
  
“Okay,” said Erin.  
  
“Okay what?” Holtz asked.  
  
“Okay, I’ll spend every second of every day with you,” she paused, taking a breath as if she were drawing in confidence, “Jillian Holtzmann, will you marry me.”  
  
Holtzmann blinked once slowly, caught off guard. Erin waited anxiously for the answer.  
  
“Of course I will,” said Holtzmann, “yes. Absolutely. Erin, I love you. Yes!” Her voice built in crescendo as she spoke.  
  
“Yes?” Erin started to smile.  
  
Holtzmann nodded enthusiastically, “Yes.”  
  
Holtzmann kissed Erin passionately as she gently pushed her down onto the picnic rug.


End file.
